Card Tricks
by LukeAndLorelai Brucas Fan
Summary: After Gibbs' and Abby's conversation in "The Good Samaritan" this wouldn't let me go. Poker at Gibbs' house. My first attempt at NCIS.


AN: I came to the NCIS party a little late, but I'm making up for it. I love this show so much, I'm completely obsessed and I'm only in season one. Almost season two. Gibbs is awesome, and I love Abby too. But that's where the good stuff ends, because I don't know how to play poker. I wanted to write this anyway. I hope it doesn't suck too much.

* * *

"What have you got for me Abbs?" Special Agent Jethro Gibbs asked, entering the forensics lab and walking over to the Goth technician.

"What have you got for me?" she asked, not looking up from her magazine. He simply smiled as he placed a large orange and white CafPow! cup on the desk beside her which she eagerly picked up and took a sip from.

"Abby." the former marine sniper pressed.

"We have a match!" she replied, grinning.

"We do?"

"Yup! The DNA from the crime scene totally matched the sample we got off the suspect. So you can go and arrest your bad guy now."

"You're amazing Abbs!" he told her, leaning down to place a kiss on her cheek.

"Tell me something I don't know."

"Chickpeas were once believed to be a powerful aphrodisiac, especially for men," Gibbs replied, making his way over to the door.

"I'll have to remember that one." Abby replied, grinning. "Hey Gibbs, I was thinking, you, me, pretzels and beer. Maybe even some hummus, what do you say?"

"I don't know what that means Abby." He told her, shaking his head, trying not to laugh.

"Poker! Remember, we had that case a couple weeks ago, that you thought was a copycat murder, but it wasn't it was those two sisters with identical DNA who killed two other people just to make the murder of the husband look less suspicious and I suggested we play poker sometime?"

"Oh yeah, right, right. Ok. But I have one amendment to make to your suggestion."

"Oh! Pizza! You're a genius Gibbs."

"I know that. Drop the beer off the list." He told her, shaking his head. "Have you ever seen me drink beer?"

"No. Come to think of it I don't think I've ever seen you drink anything other than coffee. You're not one of those people that frowns on the consumption of alcohol are you Gibbs? Because we may just have a problem if that's the case."

"Bourbon Abbs. You substitute the beer for bourbon and we've got a deal."

"Great! Ok, so pizza, bourbon and pretzels. Awesome."

"Don't forget you and me and the poker." Gibbs added with a little grin.

"How could I?"

"I've got me a bad guy to catch, so I'll see you when I get back. But if not, my place, eight o'clock."

"Great. I can't wait." Abby continued to grin and went back to flipping through her magazine as Gibbs walked out the door. After a moment she reached towards the stereo and turned it up.

* * *

Abby chewed her lip as she studied her cards, then she glanced up. Across the table Gibbs was considering his own hand just as carefully.

He had won the first two games, and she the next two. Gibbs' was now looking very annoyed at having been beaten. Abby was determined to win this one too. But with a king, two fours, a seven and a ten – all different suits – she didn't really see that happening. Not unless she could bluff the master interrogator into folding.

Her last hand had been a fluke – she'd been dealt two pair, aces and nines, and a three. After returning the three she'd gotten a third ace, making her full house superior to Gibbs' three eights.

_I could keep the king and the ten,_ she mused, _try for a straight. Or the fours, maybe there's another pair on top there._

Gibbs' face was completely blank, just like it had been the last four hands but she knew that didn't mean a thing. She knew he could be holding a straight flush or a pair of threes, his poker face was nothing to go by. He was just too good.

She was good too, she knew that. She could most likely win against Kate or Tony, definitely McGee. But Gibbs was... Gibbs. He reached for his glass of bourbon ate a pretzel and all the while Abby studied him over her cards. She hadn't given anything away yet, there was probably still a little time before he started to think she didn't have anything of value, so, relaxing her shoulders, leaning back in her chair, she selected two cards and placed them face down on the table.

"Two," she requested and Gibbs complied. She picked them up, forcing herself to do it slowly.

_Ten of spades... Queen of diamonds...._ with her king and ten that was almost a straight, if the second ten was a jack and her seven was a nine... things would be looking up, but they weren't, not really.

They went through the betting, neither of them raising the pot too high and then it was time to show. Gibbs laid his cards out first, one by one and Abby watched intently. _Three of hearts... five of spades... five of diamonds... 7 of clubs... queen of spades..._

"I won," she said quietly, glancing at her cards again.

"What was that Abbs?"

"I won." She repeated.

Her almost straight that was really just a pair of tens wasn't a whole lot, but then, again, it beat his fives. And even if it hadn't, her king of hearts would have done the trick as the high card on the table.

"Yes! I win!" She cried out, laying her cards down. "Ha! I beat you again."

"Don't gloat Abby, it's not a good look on you." Gibbs advised.

"Sorry Gibbs. Can't help it, it's my turn," she added taking the cards from him mid-shuffle. After showing off one of her favourite shuffling tricks, she began dealing. But she didn't stop at five like the previous games.

Gibbs was about to ask her what she was doing when it became clear to him and he sat back in his chair with his drink, waiting. When the two hands were ready they each picked up their cards and began the next game.

_Two... seven... three... king...queen... four... nine... ten... two... nine... king... ace... three... ten... nine... ace... ten... five... five... _Abby's hand collided with the table top, disrupting the pretzel bowl, seconds before Gibbs' slapped down on top of hers.

"Ha! I beat you, again! Four times in a row." She grinned at him and he scowled, moving the bowl a safer distance away before its contents were spilled.

"Game's not over yet Abby." He reminded her and she sat up a little straighter, taking up her cards again.

"Well if you really want to lose for the fifth time..."

"Just put down a card.

"Okey-dokey,"

_Four... jack... three... eight... jack... queen... four... eight... queen... eight... six... seven... five... four... six... two... king... queen... ace... six... six... _Gibbs cursed loudly as he lost yet another game. The look of glee on Abby's face was such that he couldn't stay mad for long however.

"Good game," he praised her before finishing off the rest of his drink. Abby's grin grew wider, if possible and she stood up to stretch.

"Thanks. You weren't too bad yourself. Maybe you just need a little more practice."

"Yeah, I'm sure that's it."

"But don't worry. I won't tell anyone about my crushing defeat of you. Except Bert,"

"Well, I'm grateful of that, thank you." Gibbs relied, standing as well. "You ready to call it a night?"

"Unless you really want to feel like crap in the morning. I could do this all night."

"That's ok, thanks. I was just going to suggest you take the spare room tonight. Don't want to get in trouble with the law," he added, motioning towards the nearly empty bottle of amber liquid.

"That's a very good point, Special Agent Gibbs." Abby nodded. "That would be bad. Ok, take me to my quarters,"

"C'mon," he put a hand on her shoulder and guided her from the kitchen, through the living room and up the stairs to the guest room. After handing her a change of clothes from the dresser he kissed in the cheek and headed for the door. "Night Abbs,"

"G'night," she replied, as the door shut behind him.

* * *

AN: Review!


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